As we drove through the pass from Switzerland into Italy the weather changed from rain into sunshine, which lasted the whole weekend, yay! It's only a 3 hour drive from Bregenz to Milano, so the trip was relatively short.
We checked into our hotel late on Friday night, giving us the whole day to shop on Saturday. This time we booked a four star hotel instead of a two star hotel, like the one we stayed at in Paris the first time around. We had to take the subway into Milano, which only took 15 minutes. The hotels in downtown Milano are twice as much money, so getting to know the Metro system in Europe is very wise.
The girls and I had so much fun trying on designer clothes. This one shop was so inexpensive that we ended up buying most of our clothes there. They also have street vendors that sell beautiful clothes. We bought Sharice these embroidered ¾ jeans for only 5 Euro. For supper we went to this cool restaurant with a glass floor and ate authentic Italian food, yummy! Under the floor there were Coy swimming around, so Sharice attempted to capture pictures of them.
When you look at the photos we took in Milan and the ones from our trip to the Italian Riviera it's easy to see why we have planned a 10 day trip through all of the major cities in Italy next March. I love to hear them speak the Italian language, because it sounds like music that rises and falls in a constant melody. The buildings are so amazing with their fascinating architecture and rich details that you just want to stand and admire them for hours. The Italians take great care in growing flower beds on their balconies that spill over into a twisting rainbow of colors. Bright green lime trees, fast moving trolleys, and designer fashions, are all mixed together to create an unforgettable memory. We can travel the globe and hear Spanish, English, and French spoken in many different countries, but the Italian language is unique only to Italy. This geographical phenomenon creates a very special travel experience.
On Sunday we went to the Santa Maria delle Grazie where the famous painting of Leonardo da Vinci's the “Last Supper” dons the walls of it's refectory. It was painted between 1494-1498 at the request of his employer the Duke of Milan. Leonardo da Vinci chose a different method to paint the fresco, which contributed to it's deterioration over the years. In World War 2 a large hole was blown into the side of the building leaving the painting exposed to the elements. After a number of restoration attempts, the most recent one being 1999, they have successfully brought the fresco back for the people to admire once again. It is 15 feet high x 29 feet wide. We had an audio guide that described the “Last Supper” scene, which gave us details about the disciples reactions to Jesus telling them that one of them was going to betray him that night. It was interesting to see that they had gathered into 4 groups of 3, while discussing this horrific news.
On the opposite wall of the very long room was another painting by Leonardo da Vinci. It depicted the day that Christ was crucified on the cross. He painted it with incredible detail. It showed the soldiers standing guard around Jesus and two other criminals that were being crucified. One criminal had an angel on his shoulder and the other one had a devil on his shoulder. There were dozens of onlookers who were either celebrating their death or mourning them. There was a lone woman wrapped around the base of Jesus's cross. She looked very young, so I don't think it was his mother.
I wish we had more time to admire this other painting, but we were rushed out of there, so they could make room for the next tour. The tours are restricted to 25 people for only 15 minutes and there is a large machine in the room to ensure that the fresco is kept at room temperature.
Afterwards we wandered the streets of Milan taking photographs. Since it was Father's Day, we stopped at this quaint coffee shop called “Chocolat”. They actually made their own chocolate, so Darcy picked out this bar that was 95% (very, very, dark chocolate). The kids had an ice cream and we enjoyed a cappuccino in their loft area that over looked some original bronze sculptures and a shiny gold painting of lips, very cool.
We went back to the city center to see the inside of the Duomo di Milano, which is one of the world's largest Gothic cathedrals. They started construction in the late 14th century and are still continuing their work on it. The stained glass inside was breath taking and part of the marble floor had all of the astrological signs engraved into it. The children made a monetary contribution and lit a candle to show their respects.
Outside the cathedral there were men who would shove corn into your hand to attract the pigeons. When I took pictures of the kids with pigeons perched on their head and arms he would hit me up for 1-5 Euro depending on his mood. Just like in Paris there were men from Africa who would attack you when you emerged from the subway, by putting colorful string on your wrist. If you didn't resist in time they would start fashioning a bracelet for you. Since it was tied on you were obligated to give them money. We are wise to them now so we quickly pull our arms away and maneuver through the crowds. These sly salesmen are quite pushy and sometimes rude, so tourist beware!
Then we were lucky enough to find some more shops that were open on a Sunday before we headed back to Austria.
On our drive back we spotted some more castle remains that stood high and proud above the highway. The Italian Lake District is soooo beautiful, we have to go back to relax on the beaches! Of course I keep saying this, but we continue to conquer Europe in a ferocious manner. Travel light and hit it hard is our motto : ).
Lisa Allen
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